Abstract

Graft survival after 348 consecutive first cadaver-donor renal transplants was significantly improved by HLA matching when recipients who had received pretransplant blood transfusions were matched with their kidney donor for two HLA-B locus antigens. No other type of HLA matching significantly improved graft survival in transfused recipients nor did any type of HLA matching in non-transfused recipients. Matching for one HLA-DR antigen had no benefit in transfused recipients. Only two patients received kidneys matched for both DR antigens and only two of those in whom DR matching had been performed had not been transfused. These results indicate that pretransplant blood transfusion and selection of graft recipients predominantly on the basis of HLA-B matching has significantly reduced the renal graft rejection rate in Newcastle upon Tyne over two years. Thus, HLA-B antigen matching should be adopted as the main criterion for kidney sharing between transplant centres.